Survey: Growing number of Latinos favor same-sex marriage

A new survey shows roughly half of U.S. Latinos favor same-sex marriage, a significant increase from just six years ago.

According to a Pew Research Center survey released today, in 2006 about 56 percent of Latinos opposed same-sex marriage, while 31 percent supported it. Now, those numbers have reversed.

Latino evangelicals, however, remain opposed to same-sex marriage, with 66 percent against it and 25 percent in favor.

The survey also found Latinos are divided by religion in their preferences in the upcoming presidential election, according to a released statement from Pew:

“Three-quarters of Latino Catholics (73%) and eight-in-ten religiously unaffiliated Latinos (82%) support President Barack Obama’s re-election. However, among Latino evangelical Protestants, who account for 16% of all Latino registered voters, just 50% prefer Obama, while 39% support his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.”

“These same patterns are reflected in Latinos’ partisan affiliations. Eight-in-ten religiously unaffiliated Latino voters (who make up 15% of the Latino electorate) and seven-in-ten Latino Catholics (57% of the Latino electorate) are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party. Among Latino evangelical voters, identification with the Democratic Party is lower; about half are Democrats or lean Democratic (52%), while about a third are Republicans or lean toward the Republican Party (36%).”

“As the presidential election approaches, many Hispanic churchgoers say they are hearing from their clergy about various political issues and, to a lesser extent, about candidates and elections. Roughly half of Latinos (54%) who attend religious services at least once a month say they have heard their clergy speak out about abortion, while 43% have heard from the pulpit about immigration, and 38% say their clergy have spoken out about homosexuality. A smaller proportion, roughly three-in-ten (29%), report hearing from their clergy about candidates and elections.”